Automatic electric-lighting system.



J; W. PREES & L. WINTER. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 2, 1910 994,146 Patented June 6,1911.

0 5/922 Wi Gas Louis 74 521 236) UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIGE.

JOHN w. rnnns AND Louis WINTER, or READING, rENivsYLvAmA,

. AUTOMATIC nLnc'rmo-Lrer 'rr'no SYSTEM.

Application filed May 2, 1910. Serial No. 558,751.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6} 1911,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. Fnsns and LOUIS VINTER, citizens of the United States,

rent is not. being used the battery is disconnected from the other units in the plant as soon as it has attained i s predetermined high volt-age, at which tithe generation also ceases due to the stopping of the engine.

The arrangement issuch that the turning on of lights to or above a certain number or the use of current for any purpose at or above a certain rate will immediately start the engine and generator to charge the battery, and when the use of current ceases, the battery is disconnected from the system, pro vided it-has attained full charge. If however, when the use of current ceases the battery is not fully charged, it will continue to operate until such full charge has been attained, when the engine and generator will stop automatically. Inother words, a system in which the use of current at or above a ccrtain rate causes an instrument to close a circult by whlch the system is placed 1n-position to stop auti'miatically.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification and clearly shown in the accompanying drawing which shows a diagram of our system.

The numeral 1 designates the generator, which is shown as a shuntwound instrument; 2 designates the engine; 3 the storage battery: 4 the lights and 5 the ignition coil.

()n the light circuit A we place a magnet 6 provided with two armatures 7 and 8. When current is used at or above a certain rate, the magnet 6 is energized and the armaturcs are drawn toward it. The armature 7 makes a. permanent contact at 20 while the armature 8 makes a momentary- 'contact while passing the point 21.

This

action will close the circuit leading to a.

magnet 11, which, when so energized, will draw toward it the enda of a. pivoted lever 13. This end a of the lever contacts at 14 and closes a circuit between the battery and. ,f

the generator and the opposite end I) of the lever simultaneously closes =circ'uits 15*- 'and 16. The circuit 16 leads tothe ignition coil 5, and-this closing of said circuits will set the engine andgeneratorinto operation and charge the battery. i

\Vhen the lights are turned 01f, or the use of current is discontinued, the armatures 7 and 8 will return to the positions shown in the diagram, that is they will'move away from the magnet and break the contact 20, but. if the battery is not fully charged, the

engine and generator will continue to oper- 7.0

ate until the maximum charge has been attained. \Vhen the battery. is sufiiciently charged the solenoid 9 closes the contact 10 by the core moving up, indicating high voltage, and this will energize the magnet-12 7 5 which is connected therewith and draw: the end I) of the lever 13 away from contacts 15' and,16, a nd also the opposite enda. of the lever from the contactl t, thus breaking the circuits and stopping the engine and generator. The armature 7 is -provided for the reason thata permanent closed connectlon at I 20 would cause the system to start when the 'armature 8 makes the passing contact on its V return movement, that- 15, it would start the system when all the lights were'turned' ofi, and it is desirable to have it start only when passing the point 21 in one direction, thatis,

when current use is started.

It is evident that. our invention comprises a system in which the plant is set into operation whenever current, at or above a certain rate is used for any purpose, and one in which the plantis automatically stopped when the battery has attained a predeter- 9 5 mined high voltage. In other words, the plant will at all times remain inactive until. current is used ator above a certain predetcrmincd rate, which rate may easily bedetermined by regulating in any manner, the 10 case with which the armatureswill move,

and when current at this predetermined rate is used the plant will always be put into operation.

\Ve are aware that electric lighting sys- 1C toms-have been heretofore devised in which the starting and stopping of the engine and generator is accomplished through means responsive to the condition of the battery charge, and we do not desire to claim such as our invention, but

What we claim and desire to secure by an'electric generator; a storage battery; 5

. discharge circuit; a second circuit; magnetic means in the discharge circuit, which means will operate whenever current at or above a certain rate is taken from the battery, to

immediately close the circuit between the battery and the generatorto start the engine; and also to simultaneously close the second circuit, and means forbreaking both of said circuits when the voltage attains a prede'- termined high point} Intestimony whereof we afiix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN W. FREES.

LOUIS WINTER.

Witnesses? i 4 LUKE A. HUYE'I'I En. A. Knpv 

